The Truth Be Told
by Nancy D
Summary: Dark Days. Voldemort Rising. Only one person knows his secret, and she's too scared to say so she fled the wizarding world. But she shall soon make her return, and with the help from her friends and others, try to defeat the Dark Lord.
1. A Dream

Absentees  
By Nancy D  
  
  
Chapter One: Dreams  
  
** "It is our destiny!" exclaimed Ginny to the man who held her. She put her lips to his and they kissed passionately. He stroked her hair gently and smiled down upon her.  
  
"What do you mean - our destiny?" he breathed.  
  
"It means," started Ginny, still holding fast to the man's muscular arms, "that we met for a reason. There is a reason that we are together. For now that we are together -" She kissed him some more.  
  
"Yes?" he asked.  
  
"We can -"   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We can - " But this time, Ginny was cut short by a blunt-edge knife being stabbed into the back of her neck.  
  
"Together, we could have ruled the world. But not anymore!" were the last words Ginny heard the man say before darkness overcame her. **   
  
Ginny awoke, her heart pounding, her face covered in sweat, and in a horrifyingly dizzy state. She fell out of bed and crawled weakly into the bathroom, threw her face in front of the toilet and puked. One of her clammy hands gripped the toilet bowl while her other hand swept up her dull auburn hair that was soaked with sweat.  
  
"You ok?" came a voice behind her. She looked up with her tired, glassy eyes. It was her boyfriend Thad who had been in bed with her. Ginny didn't answer, but instead, propped herself up against the wall.  
  
"You shouldn't have had so much to drink last night," said Thad, and with that, he crawled back in bed and went to sleep almost instantly.  
  
But it was a lot longer than that when Ginny could finally go back to sleep, and when she did, it was a sickish, uneasy sleep, in which she had another horrifying dream.  
  
**Ginny was walking down the halls of Hogwarts, a place she hadn't been to since she graduated three years before. As she walked, her hair, which was tied up tight started to fall out of the rope and hang down around her. She started to walk faster and faster until she could see someone on the other end of the hall. She didn't know who it was, but she wanted to, so she kept walking faster and faster until she was running to see whom the person was. Finally, she got close enough to see that the person was her mother, who she also hadn't seen for almost three years. She was running towards her mother, but all of a sudden a man walked out in front of her. Ginny stopped, instantaneously.  
  
"Draco?" she breathed.  
  
"It's me, Ginny," said Draco. He put his lean arms around her small body. "I have come back to you, Ginny."  
  
"Oh, Draco!" She kissed him passionately, and he lifted her up and they started walking in the opposite direction, getting farther and farther away from Ginny's mum. **  
  
Ginny awoke to sunlight streaming through her bathroom window. Her hair was dry, her hands weren't sweaty anymore, and she certainly felt better than she had during the middle of the night. Her head hurt like hell, and she just wanted to go back to bed, but she couldn't get this dream out of her head, and she didn't know what it meant. She didn't remember the first dream at all.   
  
She went downstairs and saw a note lying on the table. It was from Thad.   
  
"Baby, I had to get somewhere fast. Woke up early this morning. See you later on. No sleeping with anyone else till I get back. Your honey, Thaddeus."  
  
Ginny started to cry. "Now I'm all alone, I can't ponder this dream by myself…" Then she thought of it. Who was always the best at interpreting dreams back at Hogwarts? Her brother's best friend, Hermione Granger. She hadn't spoken with Hermione for quite awhile either, or Ron and Harry for that matter.   
  
Ginny met Thad right after she graduated from Hogwarts, and from then on she pretty much cut herself off from everyone else. Thad was a wizard also. He worked in a factory manufacturing widgets. Widgets were broom attachments that enhanced or altered your flight. They were quite fun, actually. Ginny, who had trouble keeping jobs in the past and didn't like waitressing was now working as Thad's secretary.   
  
Ginny felt kind of awkward visiting Hermione after all these years, but she figured it was for the better. She went upstairs and bathed, then she drained a bottle of headache potion, which she was sure wouldn't even make a dent in her bitch-ass headache, and rummaged through a drawer of old dusty memories from three years ago to try to find Hermione's address. She found it under a stack of old newspapers. She was living in Scotland. Since Ginny couldn't picture the house to apparate too, she would have to use floo powder to get there. She found some floo powder, threw it in the fireplace, and jumped inside.  
  
Ginny was let off right in Hermione's smoke-filled living room. She thought the smoke was from the fireplace, but then realized that it was coming from the figure on the couch who was holding, what Ginny recognized to be a 'cigarette', kind of a Muggle potion which was inhaled, and reading a book. Ginny walked up behind the couch and noticed that the person sitting there was Hermione. "Hermione?" she asked.  
  
Hermione jumped off of the couch and turned around so her overlarge stomach was visible. "How the hell did you get into my house, bitch!!!" she screamed.  
  
Ginny was taken aback. She put her hand to her head as Hermione's screaming wasn't doing much to ease the pain of her headache. "Through the fireplace," she said, softly.  
  
Hermione didn't answer, as she had reached for the telephone and started dialing furiously. "The police are coming!"   
  
"Um," started Ginny. "The police can't do anything about me. The Ministry of Magic, maybe, but the police -"  
  
Hermione dropped the phone. "M-ministry…of…m-magic?" she said softly. "I haven't heard from them in ages…"  
  
"Oh Hermione," said Ginny, arms outstretched. Hermione looked very different than when Ginny had last seen her. Her hair was short and spiky, and died the color of blond that wasn't exactly a 'real' hair color. And she was visibly pregnant. But all this didn't matter to Ginny; she was still Hermione. In fact, Ginny probably thought the same thing was going through Hermione's head. Ginny's hair was shorter and straight with split ends. She had a scar on her face from where a dog had bitten her at a party a year before. Her face was pale as ever, and you could see in her eyes that she was very hung over. But she processed forward, and so did Hermione, and the two of them embraced in sisterly love never experienced before by either of them, because neither one of them had sisters.  
  
"Ginny!" said Hermione. "You came back! How's Ron? And Harry? Tell me how they all are, I haven't seen anyone for ages!" She was starting to get very excited.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Ginny. "I haven't seen anyone in ages either. Not since I graduated. But how have you been doing?"  
  
Hermione didn't know what to say. She looked as if she were about to cry. "Ginny, I haven't used magic in almost a year now."  
  
"What? Why not?"   
  
"I don't know. I came here with Elijah, and we were both going to study to be alchemists, and then I don't know what happened. He went off with some Muggle who had nothing going for her. And then I met Brent, also a Muggle, and the father of…" She looked down. Ginny nodded. "I just decided to lead a Muggle lifestyle, and then I quit using magic altogether. I'm surprised they haven't taken my house off the Floo Network." Hermione wiped tears from her face.  
  
"It's OK," said Ginny. She gave her a hug. "I haven't been leading the best lifestyle either. "I've been living with my boyfriend Thad for a while now. He doesn't have the best job - widget maker - but we're OK. I haven't seen or heard from anyone in almost three years."  
  
"Then why did you decide to come to me now?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Because I had this dream," started Ginny. "I was walking down the halls of Hogwarts, and at the end was my mum. I kept getting closer and closer to her, but then, out of nowhere, this handsome man came and swept me off my feet and kissed me and took me away from my mother." She didn't dare tell Hermione who the handsome man was. She didn't know about the Ginny/Draco scandal back when she was in sixth year.  
  
"And you came to me because I used to be the best interpreter of dreams back in our Hogwarts days." Hermione put out her cigarette.  
  
"Yes, that's it."  
  
"Key word: Used To."  
  
"Oh, come on, Hermione, you can't just Forget!"  
  
"Yes I can," said Hermione. "I've forgotten what Hogwarts looks like inside. I've forgotten how you score in Quidditch. I've forgotten almost every spell I've learned."  
  
"Have you forgotten about SPEW?" asked Ginny. Hermione smiled.  
  
"Oh yeah, SPEW. No, I haven't forgotten about that yet, but I don't do the campaigns anymore like I used to."   
  
"Well you'll never guess, but the Ministry of Magic passed a law saying that house elves now get to wear clothes and have sick days and worker's comp!"  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Seriously! Come on, Hermione! You've missed so much, you've GOT to come back to the wizarding world!"  
  
"I can't," said Hermione. He laughter and happiness ceased altogether. "I've been away too damn long." She sighed. "Just too damn long…"  
  
"Come on, Hermione. There is no 'too long'. You're welcome back any time." Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she started howling in pain. "Hermione?!" asked Ginny, panicking. "Is it your appendix? I know a good charm for app -"  
  
"I'M HAVING A BABY, WOMAN, GET ME TO THE FUCKING HOSPITAL!!!"  
  
"Ok, just - remain - calm." She stood Hermione up who was still howling in pain.  
  
"HURRY!!!" screamed Hermione. Ginny began to lead her towards the fireplace. "WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING??? THE HOSPITAL'S OUTSIDE! YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THE FUCKING CAR!!!"  
  
"No - I - don't!" puffed Ginny, shoving Hermione into the fireplace. "I'll do what I want!" So she threw Floo Powder into the fireplace, and in an instant they fell out of the fireplace of the maternity ward of St. Mungo's. 


	2. And They Called Her Virginia

A/N: WOAH! First chapter's a bit startling, am I right? Well, it eases up a bit, I guess. I'm still not entirely sure where this story is going, but I have an idea of the next couple of chapters, so it's not like I'm going to completely cut it off. Well anyway, you know that this is more of a serious fic, as opposed to my "Zelda Characters Discover Purell Hand Sanitizer" and so on. I hope you enjoy it! Please review; I love reviews! It's been lonesome. Ya, whatever. Ok, so please r/r!   
  
Chapter Two: And They Called Her Virginia  
  
Twenty-three year old Hermione Granger woke up to sunlight streaming in her eyes. She opened them and noticed that Ginny was standing above her, and she was holding a baby in her arms. The baby was small and soft. She had quite a lot of curly blond hair and sharp green eyes. She was smiling. "She's yours," Ginny whispered, and handed the baby to Hermione's open hands.  
  
"Hello there," Hermione whispered, half crying, to the little girl. The girl just lay there.   
  
"She's beautiful," Ginny said to Hermione. Hermione couldn't respond. She just sat there looking at her daughter for a time until a friendly nurse dropped by.  
  
"Hogwarts, dear?" the nurse asked Hermione.  
  
"Hmm?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Do you want me to put her name down for Hogwarts?" There was a moment of awkward silence after that, in which Hermione looked at the sleeping child and Ginny glanced around nervously. The nurse looked as if she felt very stupid. "Of course, she doesn't have to go to Hogwarts…" continued the nurse, rather uneasily. Ginny looked down at Hermione. The look in Ginny's face kept telling Hermione to send the child to Hogwarts even though she didn't want to go back to the wizarding world. But deep down, she really did. She wanted her daughter to go to Hogwarts; she wanted to go back to that world too. But there was something keeping her from going. The last thing she thought was 'oh well'.  
  
"Um, no, that's fine," said Hermione, "but she - she doesn't have a name yet." The nurse chuckled.  
  
"Alright dear, I'll swing round later to check. She's beautiful!" Then she walked away, her old-fashioned high heels clicking all the way down the hall.  
  
As soon as she was unable to hear the nurse, Ginny spoke. "She's a witch, Hermione. You know it. She belongs at Hogwarts, and you know that too."   
  
"I know," said Hermione wiping tears from her eyes. "I want her to have the best life as she can. She'll thrive at Hogwarts, just like I did. And I would have thrived afterward if it weren't for that rat-bastard Elijah... It's just that -"  
  
"It's just that what?"  
  
"It's just that I don't think I can face going back to the wizarding world. It was great and everything, but I've been away for so long, and I don't know what everyone would think of me when I return."  
  
"I don't think much different of you," said Ginny. "I'm a witch."  
  
"True," said Hermione. "But you came to me, I didn't come to you."  
  
"I came to you for a reason, Hermione. I had a question for you, and you didn't answer it. I had a dream for you to ponder, because I knew you could. You think you've changed, but you really haven't. Inside, you're still the Hermione I knew at Hogwarts. I mean, look at me!" Hermione looked at Ginny. She indeed looked different. She looked somewhat worn, but perhaps that may have been her hangover. But nonetheless, Hermione smiled. Ginny smiled back.  
  
"You're right," said Hermione finally. "I'm having her name put down for Hogwarts as soon as that nurse comes round again." She looked down once more at the sweet baby angel in her arms. "And I will call her Virginia." Ginny smiled, and she started crying as well. "Virginia Lily Granger." Virginia after Ginny, Lily after Harry Potter's mum, and her last name would be Granger, as the child didn't have a father. 


	3. The Wonderful News

A/N: Well, you see what happened was, I wrote the first two chapters of the story, and then I went and saw the movie, and then I was like "I can't let this happen to these people!" It's blasphemy! Seriously! And on top of that I got two reviewers, and one of them is my friend, so that's not saying too much for the story anyways. But, for the two people who do want to see where the story is going, and for my own good, (I haven't been good about writing these days) I'll continue the story. Not saying I'm going to finish it now! Just continue. Don't ask me how long I'll continue it because I don't know. For now, it's just the third chapter. Oh, and can someone think of a new title? Well, I'll do it myself, just read.  
  
*Chapter*Three*   
The 'Wonderful' News  
  
According to Ginny, the next few days seemed to be lived in a dream. She took Hermione and Virginia back to Hermione's house and packed all of her magical things away. Then they returned to Ginny's house via Floo Powder. They stayed at Ginny's for a few days, and then all of a sudden an owl swooped through the window dropping a letter on Ginny's lap and another on Hermione's lap. This is when the dream ended.  
  
Both letters were the same, and they said:  
  
"I'm getting married. The wedding's all planned and ready, and set for February 22. I won't tell you where it will be held in case these letters are intercepted. Just please come back to the Burrow within two weeks of the wedding date. I can't wait to see you all!  
  
Love, Ron"  
  
"Oh my!" said Ginny. "Ron's getting married!" Hermione was speechless. She didn't say anything as silent tears rolled down her eyes. Ginny knew why, Hermione had been madly in love with Ron their last year at Hogwarts, but due to unfortunate events, they had to discontinue their relationship.  
  
"My goodness, it's come so soon," she said quietly. "I wonder who she is. I wonder if I've met her before." She was quiet for a few more minutes. "I do hope he marries someone good." She smiled, and Ginny smiled back.  
  
"You know what this means?" said Ginny.  
  
"What?" asked Hermione.  
  
"You're going to have to learn magic again before the wedding. You said you've forgotten everything, and the wedding's only a short while away." Hermione looked uneasy.  
  
"How about if I just don't go," she said quietly. Ginny could tell that Hermione's recent incompetence with magic wasn't the only reason why she didn't wish to attend the wedding. "And I've got little Virginia to look after…" she said, smiling into the cradle where Virginia slept.  
  
"Come now, Hermione," soothed Ginny. "You've got to go! I'll send an owl to Professor Dumbledore, and –"  
  
"No!" said Hermione. "You shall not tell him anything!"  
  
"Why not?" asked Ginny.  
  
Hermione sat there, thinking uneasily for half a minute. She didn't want to tell Ginny the truth about why she'd left the wizarding world; the truth about herself and Ron; the truth about Dumbledore. "I just don't want you to…" she said quietly. "I- I'll go myself."  
  
"Go to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Go to Hogwarts. I'll go and I'll talk to Professor McGonagall."  
  
"You can't," said Ginny. "She's gone."  
  
"You can't mean –"  
  
"No, she hasn't died. But she's gone off to fight The Dark Lord with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Arrabella Figg, Severus Snape, and Harry Potter."  
  
"The Order of the –"  
  
Ginny shook her head. "The Order of the Phoenix failed long ago. I don't know how it did with Dumbledore in control –" Hermione nodded, she understood completely what it had seemed Ginny had been puzzling over for quite some time. "But they've gone off this time. It's horrible, Hermione. You-Know-Who is rising to power, it's horrible!"  
  
"They can do it," said Hermione quietly. "I know they can. They've got everything it takes to overturn the Dark Lord."  
  
"How can you say this? They had everything last time and they failed horribly!"  
  
"They had everything," said Hermione, "except Harry. Except a bit of the Dark Lord himself to fighting against him. And they also had a hindrance."   
  
Ginny began to understand slightly. Harry was what they needed for their team to conquer Voldemort. She didn't even bother to ask about the hindrance. It could have been anything. Then there were a few more moments of silence.   
  
"About my magic," said Hermione afterward. "I think I can relearn it on my own. I still have the books, and if you recall, that's how I learned it in the first place." Ginny smiled. Hermione was more ready than ever to return to the wizarding world. With her newly-acquired knowledge of the team who was fighting Lord Voldemort, she felt that she needed to be in close range. As if she felt she could do something to help. Well, whatever need be, Hermione had to go back, and she was going to do it as soon as possible. The only problem that befell her was having to confront Ron and his new wife at the wedding, and the wedding was less than a month away. 


End file.
